Thousandfurs
by redfoxrose
Summary: The King approached the Princess and smacked her across the face. She fell to the floor. “That is what you get for trying to avoid the wedding by giving me seemingly impossible tasks.


Disclaimer: I do not own the original idea for this story. It belongs to the Brothers' Grimm.

A/N: There are many versions of this tale (and names, too), and this is only my interpretation of the begininning of it. I actually had to write this for English class, and I haven't gotten a grade yet so I don't know how I did. I may write the rest later, but this stands as a one shot. The character telling this story is not in the actual fairy tale, and in some versions there is no one helping the princess.

I would like to tell you a story. Once upon time, (well about several centuries ago) when magic ran rampant all across the land, which was not _that_ long ago if you consider the scope of how years are measured in terms of how long I've been alive. You see I'm not exactly human. Heck, I'm not really alive. For me, the life span of a human seems to pass like a second in my mind. When you've lived as long as I have and seen everything as well, you learn not too pay too much attention to what goes on in the world. You also learn not to make friends of humans either. I made that mistake once and it seemed like we were talking one minute and then I was visiting his grave in the next. That wouldn't have been so horrible I suppose. I mean everyone losses someone in their lives, but for me I will loose everyone. Or at least everyone that is mortal, like humans are. Even most magical creatures are ignored by me for they will also die long before I do. I don't actually think I can die, at least I don't know a way for me to. Perhaps when the Earth is destroyed I will no longer exist and will find peace in the afterlife, but I can't even be sure of that. You see I am what some would call death itself. Of course I'm not the only one, but to be death is not pleasant. Most of us are gloomy reclusive spirits. Some of us were human, once. The ones that were human had committed suicide, and as punishment had to take the lives of others for all eternity. Or at least until they learned some kind of lesson, then they were permitted to move on. But for those of us that have been Death from creation, we have no salvation. Or at least that was what I once believed…

In a kingdom somewhere in what would become present-day Germany, there lived a King and Queen. They were very content ruling over their peaceful, yet strong kingdom. But the Queen was not happy. She wanted more than anything else, to have a child. After trying for several years she finally became pregnant. Unfortunately she was a slight woman and though she was warned even before she became pregnant that childbirth might kill her, she still persisted in having her child. She went into labor on the first day of summer. The birthing process was quite difficult and it was thought that the queen wouldn't survive the night, and that both she and the child would be lost. But as the sun rose the queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that would grow to resemble her in every way. As the Queen held her daughter she knew that she was dying. She called for the King to come see his heir and to say goodbye. When the King arrived she dismissed the waiting servants and midwives saying that she wanted to be alone with her family. I arrived the same time as the King. As the Queen lay dying she spoke to her husband, telling him to promise to always love their daughter. He promised. As she grew weaker and closer to the spirit realm she could vaguely see me like all others before her. But unlike many she didn't look afraid, only determined, as she tightened her hold on her baby. As I approached her she again began speaking to the King, telling him that he must promise to never marry again. She took another breath and began to say something else when I reached out to touch her. She closed her eyes and didn't open them again. As the Queen's soul left her body and soured though my own to get to the afterlife, the King began speaking. He was saying out loud what he thought the Queen was going to say next. I myself did not know what she was going to say, but I did not think that what the King was spouting off was what she meant. For when she passed through my body to the spirit realm at the other and of the connection, I could feel some of her emotions and they were all focused on keeping her daughter safe. I caught a stray thought about wicked stepmothers. And I realized that the late Queen did not want her daughter to suffer like some others did when their father married a woman that did not love the child. But when the King spoke it was nothing like the Queen's thoughts. He spoke of never marring _unless _he found someone who could match the Queen in beauty and kindness, and some other strange things. As he spoke I felt a feeling of dread. I looked at the little Princess still held within the Queen's arms, then I looked at the King who was ignoring her and talking to himself, and promising that he would never marry another woman unless she met certain requirements. For the first time since I had taken the life of my only friend, I felt regret. In my haste to finish my job and stay away from humans, I killed the Queen before she could finish her final words. I looked upon the little Princess once again and I made a decision. Though my head was telling me that it was a bad one, my heart would leave me no other choice. I made three promises to myself that morning: I would protect this little Princess until her dying day, but I would not grow attached to her, and she will never even know that I am there.

Time passed quickly, like it always does for me. Yet it was not passing as fast as it used to. I still had my job, however unpleasant it was, but any free time I had was spent near the little Princess, who was not so little any more. Over the years despite my promise to myself, I grew close to her. Yet I kept my other promise and never revealed myself to her, not only was it against the rules, I did not want to become any closer than I already was because I knew that one day she would die, and it would probably I that ended her life. Though she was a princess she led a seemingly poor life in the castle. Her father ignored her existence, he was too busy searching for a woman matching his wife to marry, and hired no tutors for her. Her nanny had taught her to read, and she enjoyed doing so when she had time, but more often than not she was outside in the stables with the horses or in the forest riding them. She wore plain gowns and no jewelry, and when she snuck out to ride she would sometimes even wear trousers under her skirts and ride astride. She ate in the kitchens or in her room, and never even saw her father. She had no friends for the servants were afraid of being friendly with a noble; especially a daughter of the King who seemed to become more cruel as time went by, and there were never any noble children in the palace for her to play with either. As the Princess grew up she grew more independent. She knew that one day her father would most likely arrange a marriage for her, but she wanted to marry for love or not marry at all. She read political books to help prepare herself on the off chance that her father died before he betrothed her to someone, and she became the sole ruler of the land, not just the wife of the new king. All too soon for both her and myself the Princess had her 16th birthday. We both realized that now that she was officially of age her father wouldn't ignore her any longer. Or at least would pay enough attention to marry her off to some stranger. And sure enough not even a fortnight after her birthday the King called his daughter in for the first audience he had had with her since her birth.

As I followed the Princess into the audience chamber I had no idea what to expect. I had mainly kept away from him and was either working or with the Princess. But I did hear rumors that the King had become slightly mad over the years, always searching for a new bride, and that the people were suffering from his neglect. But when I saw him I was not prepared for what I saw. He looked almost the same, but his eyes were cold, calculating and slightly mad. His eyes were shifting around the room, searching for something, hidden perhaps only in the recesses of his mind. I had entered before the princess through the door, but when the door opened to admit her and the King turned his wandering gaze to her, I drew in a breath that I did not need. As his eyes focused on the Princess they grew even more calculating and they darkened with an emotion I did not want to name. The King beckoned to her, and as she reluctantly came closer to the father she had never remembered seeing before, I hurried along behind her. The King rose from his throne and circled his daughter like a predator. When he spoke it was like someone had just smashed a plate in the silent room. The Princess jumped, startled from the sudden sound, but regained her composure and didn't move again. The King's voice was soft, yet harsh as he spoke from directly behind her.

"Well, well. You have certainly grown up." The King stopped his circling and stood facing the princess.

"You look just like you mother. You even stand like she did. And look just as determined." As he said these words I grew cold inside. They stood like that for a long time neither looking away.

"You may leave now. I have just the man for you to marry." The King turned his back and began to walk toward his throne. For the first time the Princess spoke in his presence.

"Who is it?" The King stiffened and slowly began to speak. His voice sounded forcibly pleasant.

"Who is it? What right have you to question me?" his voice became louder and harsh, "I am your king, you will do as _I _say. You will hear who it is along with the rest of the kingdom. _Now leave this chamber!_" As he shouted the last sentence the Princess quickly turned and fled as fast as she could. The whole time the King never turned his back. I stood there watching him for a short time before I turned to follow the Princess. Just before I reached the door I heard the King mutter something to himself, and what he said made me fear for the Princess more than I ever had before.

"Well, I promised you I would love her."

The next week my fears were proven true. The King sent out two proclamations. One stated that he was stripping the Princess of her title, and disowning her as his daughter. And the other was an announcement of his approaching wedding, to the former Princess. The people didn't know what to think. Most were horrified, but they dare not do anything against the King who had become a tyrant. Others blamed the Princess. I don't know how they could justify that to themselves, but they said things about her that would have made me kill them if I had the jurisdiction. Things like she had the King so wrapped around her finger that she wants marry him and become Queen for the power. Those people will suffer in the afterlife if I have anything to say about it. But the worst thing was the reaction of the Princess. At first she was numb, but soon she approached the King and after barely a minute lost her composure and said that she would run away if he did not change his mind. That was the worst mistake of her life. The King locked her in her room, and posted guards at the door. Every night the King came to visit the Princess. While he was there he told her that he would wait until the wedding night to have her, but in the mean time he could touch as much as he liked, though he never actually did. After many days and three failed escape attempts, after which her father hit her, but not badly because he didn't want to damage her, the Princess gave way to despair. After trying to think of another way the Princess could come to no idea of how to escape. So she planned to kill herself.

As I watched I felt the chill of approaching death. It drew me towards her location, even though I was already there. But I was not ready to take her life, and I had promised myself to protect her. I thought as fast as I could. I could not let her do this. If she killed herself it would not be an escape. She would become a death, and though that may not be as bad as her fate if she remains with her father, it is a terrible one indeed. During her imprisonment I had been planning how to help, but all of a sudden my plan came together. But how could I get her to stop? I could think of no other way. As the Princess was about to end her life I broke my third promise, I showed myself to her.

"STOP!"

The Princess jumped. Startled she looked around, but didn't see anyone. Then I slowly revealed myself to a living human for the first time in centuries. (Ones about to die don't count.)

"Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?" As she asked question after question she slowly trailed off as she realized that I had just materialized out of thin air. "What are you?" she whispered.

"Hello Princess, you have no need to be afraid. I have known you since the day you were born, and I am here to help you."

"Are you my fairy godmother?" she asked as she relaxed slightly. I had no idea what to say. I have always known the truth is best in situations like this, but when she said that she looked so hopeful.

"Perhaps I am," I replied. It was sort of truthful. I was not a fairy, but I was sort of her self-appointed godmother. (Little did I know that I was the one who got the fad going). "I know about your father. And I am here to help you escape the awful fate he would impose upon you."

"Oh, Godmother! Please help me! I have thought of every escape route, but I know I can't get past the guards. But with magic maybe I can."

"Magic can sometimes help, but it can sometimes hurt. Before we resort to drastic measures I have a plan that we should try." As I explained my idea to the Princess she listened patiently.

The next night when the King came to the Princess's bedchambers she was ready. As the King approached her, the Princess stood from her chair and began to speak. She did not call him Father, for she had learned what he did when he heard that.

"My king, I have a proposition for you," she began. The King paused in his stride. The girl had not been this confident since the first time he saw her. The last time he left he thought he had finally broken her rebellious streak.

"What kind of proposition?" the King asked in a calm voice, but his it did not betray his eyes, which began to spark in anger.

"My king, I will cease my attempts at escape and calmly await our marriage. And on our wedding night I will not only allow you to touch me I will recuperate." The King listened to her words and seemed to about to snap when she said the word _allow_, but he then became amused.

"And am I right to assume that you want something in return?" he asked.

"Yes, my king, I ask that you grant me with the gifts of 3 beautiful dresses. For I feel vary badly that I will be giving you no dowry, these dresses can represent that. I wish for one of these dresses to be as golden as the sun, another to be as silver as the moon, and the last to be as shining as the stars. I would also ask for a mantle made from the fur of every creature in the wood surrounding the castle. I will wear each of these things on our wedding day to show our wealth and prosperity to the rest of the world. I know that you are the greatest king ever, and if anyone can get these things done it would be you." As the Princess finished her short speech she and I both watched the King's face. He looked strangely thoughtful, and we hoped that he was considering the deal. I knew the King had always been a gamboling man, always placing bets during the tournaments. And I knew that he was a prideful man, so I hoped that by appealing to his ego he would try to grant these requests. Slowly the King began to smile. It was a frightening sight.

"Well, I think that can be arranged. A few threats and I can have every seamstress in the kingdom to the castle in two days, the same for the huntsmen. Of course I'll have to execute any who object, but after one or two they will realize the seriousness of the situation and the rest will be spared, after all I wouldn't want to kill off all of them, then none of the dresses would be made." He began to laugh under his breath. The Princess looked horrified. "And the huntsmen will be the same. We wouldn't want to kill all the game in the forest so I will just order them to capture every animal in the forest and then get a few hairs from each. Well, I suppose I better go issue these orders." As he turned to leave, he stopped and looked directly in to the Princesses eyes. "The first dress will be finished in three days, and the others soon after that. We will be married the day after I present the mantle to you. And by the way I want a kiss after each gift." Then he turned and briskly left the room, locking the door behind him.

True to his word the King arrived three nights later with the first dress. It was very beautiful, and was as golden as the sun. As it turned out the dress was made entirely of gold. It was made so skillfully that the gold looked and felt like silk. The King looked so pleased that he was fulfilling his part of the bargain. And though it seemed like the Princess was perfectly docile, in reality she and I were preparing for her escape. The King approached the Princess and gave her a short kiss on the lips, then he turned and left. The Princess waited until he was out of the room before rubbing her mouth. I thought that we would have had more time. But the next night the King again appeared with the second dress. It was also very beautiful and was as silver as the moon. As it turns out the dress was made from real silver, but it was so skillfully made that it looked and felt like silk. The King again approached the Princess and gave her a slightly longer kiss. After he left the Princess went to her window and spit outside. During the time we had been granted the Princess had been saving all of the food that has been delivered for meals, only eating the bare minimum. She has also been sewing coins and any jewels she has into the underside of her plainest dress. And sewing all her other dresses together as well. Five nights after the deal was made the King arrived with the last dress. It was easily the most beautiful of all three and it shined like the stars. As it turned out sewn onto the fabric were real diamonds that sparkled in the dimmest of light. That night the King announced that the mantle would be finished in two days and that he expected the Princess to be ready for their wedding the following day. Before he left the King kissed the princess again, yet this time he forced his tongue into her mouth. The Princess waited until he left, before going over to the window and forcing herself to throw up. During the last days of preparation I had gone down to the stable and began gathering other things needed and hiding them in the stall of the Princess's favorite and swiftest horse. Two days later were ready. That night the King appeared with the mantle. It was easily the ugliest thing ever made, but the King looked proud and stated that it had at least one hair from every animal in the wood surrounding the palace, which was over a thousand. Before the King left that night he told the Princess that the wedding would be at noon the next day. Then he approached the Princess and he smacked her across the face. She fell to the floor.

"That is what you get for trying to avoid the wedding by giving me seemingly impossible tasks. Be ready for your wedding night tomorrow." Then he turned and stalked out the door, locking it behind him. I materialized so the Princess could see me. I approached her still form and realized that she was okay, just in a mild shock. She looked up at me as I called her and asked if she was alright.

"Yes, but don't call me that anymore." She slowly stood and began gathering the few belongings she wanted into a pack I found for her.

"Call you princess?" I asked

"Yes, don't call me that anymore. I've never been much of a princess before, and I've been striped of the title anyway. So technically I'm not a princess anymore." She looked resolutely into my eyes, which no human had done except one.

"Very well. What would you like to be called?" I watched as she turned and put the three dresses into the pack, perhaps to sell later or maybe to remind her that she was once a princess. She tied the pack closed, and put on her simplest dress. She began tying her bed sheets together, then tied one end to the bedpost and left the other lying on the floor. She then went to the fireplace and picked up some dead coal. She rubbed her hands around it, and covered her them and lower arms with the black soot. She set the coal on the nightstand, then raised her hands to her face. When she was finished her entire face was masked with the coal, and her hair was sooty as well. She picked up the mantle, looked at it for a long moment before she put it on over her dress. She turned to look at me and I could see her eyes shining out from behind her dark face.

"Well, I suppose the name Thousandfurs would suit me." As she turned away I could see her mouth make a sort of half-smile, yet I could still see the tears in her eyes that refused to fall. She opened her closet and took out the dresses she had sewn together. She gathered her makeshift rope, and tied one end to the rope of sheets and threw the other end out the window.

That night the girl who would one day be the greatest ruler of the kingdom escaped her deranged father. But her tale is far from over, and so is my involvement in it. But as to how she becomes a ruler of that land, and what happens to her in the forest she escapes to, is a story for another time. The main point in this tale is how I, a true Death, found salvation. I realized what that salvation was when I watched a young girl become strong in the face of horrible odds and even worse consequences. As she smiled with tears in her eyes, and when my heart, which had never felt love before, swelled with a feeling that I could not name. And the only way I can explain it is, I found my salvation in a girl who was called Thousandfurs.

**The End**

**Thanks for reading. Please Review! **


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